Elie Kedourie

Historian Elie Kedourie was born in Baghdad and grew up amid worsening antisemitism, contributing to his preoccupation with nationalism. He studied at the London School of Economics as an undergraduate and later worked toward a doctorate in philosophy at Oxford. Because he was required to make changes he did not agree with, Kedourie withdrew his thesis. He then returned to the London School of Economics and became a professor. Eschewing prevailing attitudes in Middle Eastern studies, Kedourie’s work also deepened and renewed his comprehension of nationalism. He often worked in collaboration with his wife, Sylvia G. Haim, herself an accomplished historian.